Балка Скелевая

Donetsk, Aug 4 – DAN. DPR ecologists plan to expand natural reserves territory up to 5 pc, the head of that State Committee on Ecology and Natural Resources Roman Kishkan said.

He said that several new objects will appear in the register this year, such as Mountain Sokolikha with a relict hornbeam forest. The Regional Landscape Park Zuevskiy is to include the territory of Olkhovskoye water reserve, and the Regional Landscape Park Donetskiy Kryazh is to add Dmitrovka and Shakhterskoye villages where spring primroses, including Red List species, grow.

Two new objects have already been registered: the Balka Shirokaya and Balka Kazyonnaya natural reserves, where a famous ancient hand axe of a primitive-type human was found.

New territories will add 1500 ha of territory to the DPR natural reserves, making it one fifth of the total territory. Currently natural parks constitute 3.5 pc of the DPR lands. *ot